Field Hockey Hosts No. 17-Ranked Boston College on Sept. 29
9/26/2002 5:56:17 PM | Field Hockey
#20 Syracuse vs. #17 Boston College
Sunday, Sept. 29, 1:00 p.m.
Coyne Field, Syracuse, N.Y.
Syracuse improved to 5-3 on the season, 1-0 in the BIG EAST following a 2-1 come-from-behind victory Wednesday against Hofstra. SU defeated Rutgers in its conference opener last weekend, 2-0. The Orangewomen are ranked No. 20 in this week's STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll.
Today marks the 17th meeting between Syracuse and Boston College. The Orangewomen own a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last three meetings. Last year, SU pulled out a 1-0 victory at BC. In 1999, the Eagles defeated Syracuse, 3-2, in penalty strokes during the regular season. In the BIG EAST semifinals that year, Syracuse won, 1-0, in overtime.
Lindsay Peirson is the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week. She scored the game-winning goal at Rutgers last Saturday and leads the team with three goals.
Kathleen Parker is in her 25th season as head field hockey coach at Syracuse University. Her career record is 272-167-14, good for a winning percentage of .616. She ranks fifth among active Division I coaches in career victories. Last season, Parker earned her fourth BIG EAST Coach of the Year distinction and was selected as the Mideast Region Coach of the Year. She guided the Orangewomen to the conference championship and the NCAA quarterfinals.
Junior midfielder Jackie Sheaffer tallied her second goal of the season this week against Hofstra. Sheaffer's rebound shot tied the game at 1-1 in the second half. She now has three goals for her career.
Senior midfielder Kristin Aronowicz missed the Hofstra game on Wednesday due to a finger injury. Aronowicz is third on the team in scoring so far this season with five points (two goals, one assist). She is currently climbing career charts at Syracuse. She is in a tie for sixth place with her sister, Michelle, on the school's all-time scoring list. Michelle Aronowicz totalled 81 points for the Orangewomen from 1998-2001. Kristin has 81 points on 35 career goals and 11 career assists. She needs 14 points to become SU's all-time leading scorer.
Sophomore midfielder Brittany Carriero registered her first goal of the season at Rutgers last weekend. It was the fourth of her career. She tallied three goals as a rookie for the 2001 BIG EAST Champion Orangewomen.
Senior midfielder Michelle Marks moved into second place on the team in scoring this week after she recorded the game-winning goal against Hofstra. With Aronowicz on the sidelines, Marks moved from forward to midfield. She has two goals and two assists on the season. The Hofstra score marked her 10th career goal.
Syracuse has won six-straight conference games dating back to last season.
Senior goalkeeper Audrey Latsko lowered her goals against average to 1.21 this week. She allowed just one goal against Hofstra and made four saves. For the season, Latsko has four shutouts. She ranks third on SU's all-time shutouts chart with 16.5.
Boston College Notes
The Eagles come into Sunday's contest with the best record in The BIG EAST Conference at 7-2, 1-0 in the league. BC has won two games in a row, including its 5-1 conference opener against Providence on Wednesday.
Boston College opened the 2002 season with victories against Colgate (4-0), Massachusetts (3-1), Quinnipiac (3-0) and Boston University (1-0). The Eagles lost a 6-2 decision to the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines on Sept. 14. They rebounded the next day to defeat Northwestern, 1-0, in overtime. On Sept. 18, BC was bested by No. 12-ranked Northeastern, 4-0. The Eagles posted a 2-0 win against Vermont on Sept. 21.
Kim French leads the team and The BIG EAST in scoring with 14 points (seven goals). She has tallied four goals in BC's last five games.
Lauren Schultz is second on the squad in scoring with eight points (two goals, four assists). She and Kerri Doherty are tied for the team lead in assists with four.
Nearly 70 percent of Boston College's shots this season have been attempted by three players: Kim French (36 shots), Virginia Drozd (29 shots) and Lauren Schultz (21 shots).
BC's starting goalkeeper is Lauren Hill. She has started in all nine games, recorded 28 saves and owns a 1.33 goals against average and .700 save percentage. On the season, Hill has earned five shutouts. She has nine shutouts for her career.
Kim French has 46 career points (22 goals, two assists). Christy Zider is second among active players in career points with 20 (nine goals, two assists).
